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What is a Real Second Opinion?

You are sitting on an examination table, wearing not much more than a Kleenex, and your physician is telling you that he/ she recommends surgery. You hear that word and everything else sounds like the teacher on Charlie Brown. “Wah, wah, wah, wah”. You’ve only seen this doctor once before and all of a sudden, […]

Back pain as side effect of taking medication

As many new prescription drugs come to market to treat everything from cholesterol to erectile dysfunction, one of the biggest concerns for both patients and practitioners who prescribe these medications are side effects. Some medications do a great job at controlling a specific problem, but are so toxic that they cause others problems. One lesser […]

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Exercise and Back Pain

When your back hurts,  the last thing you want to do is exercise.  And that is usually a mistake.  Traditionally,  our grandparents were advised to lie in bed, and not move when experiencing back pain.  More and more evidence suggests prolonged bedrest has adverse effects, and  consequences of more prolonged pain,  and even disability. Exercise […]

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Lasers, Stem Cells and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

As a spine surgeon,  I get it!  In the ideal situation,  spine surgery will have a tiny incision,  with no surgical pain,  the latest technology,  and the ability to recreate the normal state after the procedure. Many times,  you can acheive success if you wait long enough.  That is because many spine problems can improve without surgical […]

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Sometimes We Need More Than Sunshine

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a central role in many components of health. It stands out from other vitamins because your body is able to make most of what you need through exposure to sunlight, which is why it’s often dubbed the “sunshine vitamin.” But sometimes we need more than sunshine. Let’s […]

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It Might not be Sciatica

Many times you will hear people tell you how their sciatica is “acting up”. Very often they complain of low back, buttock and leg pain and just assume this is the problem. Let’s talk… There is a very good chance that pain which originates in the back and shoots down the leg is sciatica, also […]